High Chiefdom of Zhetysu

The High Chiefdom of Zhetysu was a tribal high chiefdom located in present-day Kazakhstan. Led by the Sunni Muslim Karakhanid Karluks for hundreds of years, Zhetysu coexisted with the other states of Central Asia due to its status as a small confederation.

History
Zhetysu means "Seven Rivers" in the Kazakh language, and it is located in south-eastern Kazakhstan. It was the home of the Karluks, a people that adhered to several religions, including Sunni Islam and Manichaeism. Zhetysu was led by the Karakhanids, a dynasty that would go on to found their own sultanate that would be one of the most powerful Central Asian powers. Zhetysu was a minor state in Central Asia that did not pose a threat to its enemies, and it lasted for a long while due to its harmlessness. Zhetysu was divided into two parts by a river, which also provided a natural obstacle with the Duchy of Qocho, a large neighboring state that could prove a threat if they invaded. It also bordered the weak Chiefdom of Chuy.